It's Worth the Wait
by IVIX
Summary: Emma Swan had always loved Regina Mills, she would do whatever it takes to give the mayor her happy ending. Will Regina realize what Emma means to her or will she be the one to take away her own happy ending this time?


**Title:** It's Worth the Wait [1/2]

**Rating: **K+

**Fandom:** OUAT

**Pairing:** Swan Queen

**Words:** ~ 2.6k.

**A/N:** Okay, I know I shouldn't have started this when I still have like, two other fics to finish but I just really wanted to write this and get it out of my chest! It's currently a one-shot but I'm 90% sure that I'll at least add a second part to it. Oh, and thank you for those who supported my last fic.

Regina Mills might be the mayor of Storybrooke and possibly the brightest woman and witch, but when it comes down to feelings and relationship, she was as dense as a tree trunk.

She loved Daniel, truly loved him. She even believed that he was the only person she will ever love, and the one she would spend forever with. Well, that was before her mother, Cora, ripped his heart in front of Regina. In a way, Regina gave up on love when the love of her life was slowly slipping away from her grasp.

Years after that, when she found Henry, she realized that maybe she was healing and she was actually capable of loving someone other than Daniel.

She poured all her love into Henry, anything he wanted, she would give it to him regardless of the price. She never doubted the love Henry had for her until he turned 10, that was when that woman barged into her life and stole her happiness away.

It had been close to a year ever since Emma Swan first arrived to Storybrooke under the insistence of her apparent son. When she first step foot in this quaint little town, she felt at home. It was strange, considering she had never been to Maine or anywhere remotely close to this town. It didn't take Henry and Emma long before they reached the Mills mansion. From the first moment she laid eyes on the brunette, she immediately knew that whatever reason it may be, she will never leave the town.

For the first few months, Regina had been nothing but defensive towards Emma. To say it didn't hurt at all would be a lie; however Emma simply smiled and took all the insults Regina was throwing at her.

Oh the things she would do for this woman, Emma knew it was love. Hopeless love but still it was love all the same. She knew that there was no way Regina would ever return her feelings, she had long accepted that. As long as she could stay near Regina, she wouldn't need anything else. She would simply wait until the day Regina personally ban her from the town or kill her, and until then, she is happy to remain where she is.

It had been a year since that blonde intrudes in her peaceful life and brought never-ending chaos with her. Regina had tried everything she possibly could, from politely ask the blonde to leave to yelling and threatening her if Emma doesn't leave. She simply cannot get rid of the tall blonde.

Regina sighed and looked around her office, how is it that someone could be so persistent on staying? She groaned out of frustration and decided to not waste any brain cells on Emma Swan.

It wasn't until a few months after New Year that Regina began to notice the lingering looks Emma tend to send her. No matter how much hateful and thorn-filled Insults she throws at Emma, the only response she would ever get out of the blonde seems to be a warm smile.

How could she be so at ease even after all the hurtful things I have said to her? Regina pondered; it was definitely not a normal trait for people to simply smile when they are being insulted. She sighed, not knowing what to think, she went back to her files.

A few days later, it was the death anniversary of her father, the day where she ripped his heart out. She called her secretary and canceled all her plans and meetings for the day.

Regina travelled up the hills until she found the clearing that she would come to every year on this day. She sat down on the soft green grass before taking in the scenery in front of her. It was breathtakingly stunning.

_Daddy, I'm sorry, for everything I have put you through and then some._

Daddy, it's lonely without you, it's been terrifyingly lonely without you by my side.

Daddy, did you know that I have a child now? I named him after you... He has your wits and charm and definitely your compassion.

Daddy, is this all worth it? What if I never get my happy ending? Would you have died for nothing?

Daddy I don't know how to feel anymore, Henry's birth mother is here and i feel like I'll never be as good as she is.

I just want Henry to be happy, and I just want to be happy.

What is happiness?  
When I ask Henry, he said it's when you feel like your heart could just fly out and jump in joy.

When I asked Sidney, he said that happiness is subjective and that to him, he's happy when he is with Regina. 

_Daddy, why did you let Mother do all those things she did? Did you not love me as much as you claim to have?  
_  
_I just want to feel happy and loved again, Daddy._

_I'm so sorry, Daddy. I miss you so much, I need you here right now_

_Daddy, what is love? Mother always says that love is nothing but a weakness, but why. Why is it that whenever I think of love, I can see Daniel dying in front of me over and over again? Why is that I don't have a happy ending like everyone else?_

Regina stood up and brushed off the dirt that clung to her pencil skirt while she was on the ground, she looked at her surrounding and silently said good bye.

"Madame Mayor. To whom do I owe the pleasure to have you grace me with your presence today?" Emma's eyes never left the documents as she spoke. She could easily distinguish Regina's footsteps, or rather the click of her power heels from others.

If Regina was surprised that the sheriff knew of her presence, she definitely did not show it on her face.

"I need you to leave Storybrooke, Miss Swan." Her tone was harsh and cold; Emma noticed the lack of emotion in the Mayor's tone and realized that this time she meant business. Emma turned around in her chair to look at the brunette; there was nothing but loathing and hatred in her brown orbs.

'So soon…?' Emma thought sadly, she knew this day would come sooner or later and personally, she wished for the latter. 'Do you really hate me so much Regina…? Is it really impossible to stay by your side? Whether it is to be your enemy or target of insults, I just want to be with you, just for a moment longer.'

The light was slowly drained from Emma's eyes; all she ever wanted was Regina to be happy.

_Regina, as long as this is what you want, I will give it to you. I'll give you anything, even if it's my own life. _

"Okay."

Emma took off the badge from her belt and removed the gun from the holster and placed both on the desk before standing up. She grabbed her jacket from the back of her chair and walked towards Regina; she simply looked into Regina's eyes and gave her a smile and she walked out of the office.

The heartache was too overwhelming, but she knew that this is what Regina wants, and in her books, what the Mayor wants, Mayor gets. Tears started to pool in her eyes, she took in a deep breath and repeated a mantra in her head. 'Don't you dare cry right now, Emma Swan.' She bit down hard on her bottom lip, in a short distance, she found her yellow bug. Before she realized what was happening, she was already at Mary Margaret's house putting all her belongings in a box.

_This is the end, it doesn't matter what happens to me, as long as Regina's content, nothing else matters…_

Emma wiped the lone tear that escaped and moved all her belongings into her car. When she was done packing, she went back into the house and wrote a short note informing Mary Margaret of her departure and thanked her for the hospitality.

She took in the familiar surrounding one last time before placing the house key on the counter along with the note and went out the door.

She got into her car and drove towards the town sign.

To say she was surprised was an understatement, Regina had not expected Emma to be so compliant when she had plain out ordered her to leave Storybrooke. She had expected at least a fight from the blonde, but all she got in return was a smile and a simple 'Okay'.

This was what she wanted from the beginning, is it not? She wanted her old life back, where Henry loves her and the rest of the town feared her. This was her happy ending, but why does it feel so empty?

Suddenly, her cell phone rang, she pulled it out of her pocket and saw Henry's name on the screen. She answered the call in an instant.

"Hey mom!" Henry's cheerful voice echoed out from the tiny speaker of her handheld device.

"Hello Henry, is something wrong?" Henry rarely called her on her cell phone; well, recently he rarely even called her at all.

"No mom, I was just wondering if we could have dinner with Emma tonight."

There was a moment of silence; Regina wanted to tell him that she had finally gotten rid of Emma and that he would never be able to see her again. Instead, she pulled out a small lie.

"No, I'm sorry dear. I don't think Ms Swan is free tonight, I recall her telling me that she had a rather busy night planned out." She once promised herself that she would never lie to Henry, and yet here she was, lying to her son.

"Oh… Okay then, I'll see you at home." Henry's voice immediately lost most of the enthusiasm he had in the beginning of the call.

Regina felt a slight pang to her heart, she didn't want to upset Henry but she just wanted her happy ending with Henry.

"Okay dear, I love you. Be safe."

"I love you too, mom." Regina wondered if he would still say those words to her again when he found out that she had chased away his birth mother. With those words, they ended the call.

It didn't take long for Henry to found out about Emma's departure, not with Mary Margaret crying over the note Emma left with Ruby over at Granny's.

At first, Henry didn't believe that it was true; Emma would never leave him, or his mom, she even promised him.

"_Emma, can you promise me to never leave me or my mom?"Henry nervously asked the blonde._

"_Henry, if I have any say in it, I would never leave you two," Henry nodded but still not completely satisfy with her answer. _

"_Promise me Emma, promise me that you'll wait for my mom and you'll stay with us for as long as you could."_

_Emma stared at Henry incredulously, but it wasn't long until she gave him a warm smile._

"_I promise you Henry, I will never leave you or Regina. Not unless it's what your mother truly, deeply, wants. Her happiness means everything to me Henry, and I would give her anything, anything at all." Emma sealed those words with a bone crushing hug. _

There was no way his mom actually wanted Emma to leave, she was the savior, she made him and Regina a family again. They were finally happy, how could she do this.

Regina carefully watched her son's reaction to the news, she might seem calm on the outside but she was flipping all kinds of buckets inside. She didn't want Henry to hate her; she knew that he knew what she had done.

Henry remained silent but he slowly tilted her head to meet Regina's worried eyes.

"How could you…" It came out as a whisper, so soft that Regina almost missed it.

"How could you do this to Emma, to me, to all of us?" Henry's tone dropped by a few octaves, it was emotionless, and cold.

"Emma… All Emma wanted was you to be happy, mom… For us to be happy again, that was all she wanted. How could you…" Henry broke the eye contact and he looked downwards, it was not impossible for Regina to see her son's face.

"I…"

"ALL EMMA WANTED WAS YOU, MOM. WHY DID YOU THINK SHE STILL STAYED EVEN THROUGH ALL THE BAD THINGS YOU SAID TO HER?" Rage burst out of Henry, he shifted his eyes back to his mothers, and there was an endless rage and agonizing pain in his eyes.

"SHE JUST WANTED BE WITH YOU MOM, THAT WAS ALL SHE EVER WANTED. AND YOU GO AND TELL HER TO LEAVE. WE WERE FINALLY HAPPY MOM, AND THAT WAS ALL BECAUSE OF EMMA. SHE PUT OUR FAMILY BACK TOGETHER, WHY COULDN'T YOU SEE THAT!" Without a moment of hesitation, Henry ran out of Granny's and into the streets.

Regina was stunned by everything Henry had yelled.

_Emma wanted to…? What? That's not possible, not to mention insane. Emma wanted to take Henry away from me, that's what she wanted._

_Wasn't Henry what she was after all along…? _

_She cannot possibly… Oh my god._

She thought back to all the fights that the blonde and her had, they had all ended in the same fashion, with a warm smile from Emma. There was something else; it was the emotion in Emma's eyes when she smiled… It was pure love. It was the same look that Daniel had always looked at her with, the simple adoration and love that never seems to end.

Regina frowned at insane idea of Emma being in love with her, there was absolutely no humane way.

She snapped out of her reverie and realized that everyone in the restaurant was looking at her, they all had the same look plastered on their face: pity and distaste.

Mary Margaret walked towards Regina; the mayor saw her red puffy eyes and the trails of tears on her face. Unexpectedly, she felt a sharp sting on her left cheek. There was a sharp intake of air, and time seemed to have come to a stop: Mary Margaret just slapped her.

She raised her hand to cover her redden cheek, in attempt to lessen the sting. She stared at Mary Margaret with wide eyes, confusion turned into anger which in turn becomes indifference.

When Regina opened her mouth to question the motif of the slap, the short woman beats her to it.

"How dare you do this to Emma? If it wasn't for the fact that she tolerated you, we wouldn't have tolerated you at all. After everything she had done for you, how could you treat her like trash and better yet, throw her out of town?"

"She loved you with everything she had; she made this town a better place. She asked all of us to treat you better, to actually try to be friends with you. She saw how lonely you were and she wanted you to be happy, she wanted you to have your happy ending. She loves you and THIS is how you repay her? You sicken me, Madam Mayor. I hope you never get your happy ending, because you sure as hell do not deserve it." Mary Margaret spat out with venom before walking away all the while wiping furiously at the tears streaming down her face.

Regina couldn't understand what was happening, but all she knew was that the ache in her heart seemed to worsen by the second at the thought of Emma never returning to Storybrooke.


End file.
